1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a communication terminal, and more particularly to a portable communication terminal for transmitting an additional message to a called party on the basis of a call duration.
2. Description of the Related Art
Service systems with portable communication terminals (PHS terminals, PDC terminals or the like) become prevalent in addition to those with conventional fixed telephones.
As a known technique relating to the portable communication terminal for transmitting an additional message to a called party on the basis of a call duration, JP-A-4-368027 discloses a technique pertaining to a portable telephone for use as a pager in accordance with surrounding conditions of a called party. JP-A-10-70602 discloses a technique pertaining to a communication terminal capable of automatically transmitting a reply message.
Additionally, JP-A-10-145520 discloses a technique pertaining to a communication terminal in which a calling party discriminates between information requiring an immediate reply and information requiring no immediacy such that a called party automatically discriminates the information requiring no immediacy.
An additionl message transmitted automatically from a calling party to a called party in portable communication system in place of a calling party on the basis of a call duration is ordinarily the same additional message as the one for a specified called party. As a result, there is a problem that the utilization of the portable communication system in place of a calling party is limited.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a portable communication terminal for automatically transmitting an additional message to a called party after the call in place of a calling party in addition to automatic transmission of an apology message.
Portable communication terminal 101 of the present invention comprises, referring to FIG. 1, transmit/receive means 103 including an antenna, time counting means 105 for counting a call duration on the basis of a state of connection with a called party, store means 111 having table 115 in which correspondence between said recognition code specifing at least one additional message and said called party is previously registered, selecting means 107 for previously holding the recognition code corresponding to the additional message to be transmitted and outputting the held recognition code on the basis of the counted call duration, and control means 109 for reading the additional message on the basis of the outputted recognition code.
The portable communication terminal 101 is characterized in that it further comprises manipulation means 113, wherein the end of a call in the call duration is determined in response to manipulation with the manipulation means 113, and the state of connection with the called party is disconnected after the additional message is transmitted.
The selecting means 107 includes means 107-1 for storing a preset call duration, means 107-2 for comparing the counted call duration with the preset call duration, means 107-3 for previously holding the recognition code corresponding to the additional message to be transmitted, and means 107-4 for outputting the held recognition code on the basis of the result of the comparison.
The additional message is characterized in that it is a preset voice apology message and a display message for each called party, and transmitted to the called party when the counted call duration is shorter than the preset call duration.
The additional message is characterized in that it is a preset voice message and a display message for each called party, and transmitted to the called party when the counted call duration is longer than the preset call duration.
A method of transmitting a message with portable communication terminal 101 according to the present invention comprises the steps of counting a call duration on the basis of a state of connection with a called party, previously holding a recognition code corresponding to an additional message to be transmitted, previously registering correspondence between said recognition code specifing at least one additional message and said called party on table 115, and outputting the held recognition code on the basis of the counted call duration, and reading the additional message on the basis of the outputted recognition code.
The method further comprises the step of determining the end of a call in the call duration and disconnecting the state of connection with the called party after the additional message is transmitted.
The step of outputting the recognition code includes the steps of storing a preset call duration, comparing the counted call duration with the preset call duration, previously holding the recognition code corresponding to the additional message to be transmitted to the called party, and selecting the held recognition code on the basis of the result of the comparison.
The portable communication terminal according to the present invention enables an additional message to be automatically transmitted to a called party in place of a calling party on the basis of a call duration.